Howard Miller Steelhead Park North West Washington June 28, 2009 Having circumnavigated more than 300 miles around the Olympic Peninsula, we headed to North Cascades National Park closer to the Canadian boarder. Not far from the park we discovered a nice county park on the Skagit River. It was perfectly maintained and had level paved sites which we were fortunate enough to get right on the river, thanks to the park manager Rusty Regan.

Olympic National Park Norrth West Washington Kalaloch, South Beach Campground June 27, 2009 The counter-clockwise drive we did around the peninsular up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center provided scenic views of Henderson Bay, Dyers Inlet, and Hood Canal among towering mountains along the way. Once at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet, we had beautiful views looking southwest across the Olympic Wilderness over alpine meadows to the peak of Mount Olympus and Blue Glacier at 7,980ft. It’s a 17 mile drive from U.S. 101 at Port Angeles up to Hurricane Ridge and well worth the time. Some of the wildflowers were in bloom and the deer greeted us in the parking area ever ready to pose for a photograph. This is another big park containing more than 900,000 acres and no roads bisect the park which means you drive around it with side trips toward the interior, the park contains 73 miles of uninterrupted shoreline, while 95% of the park is designated a wilderness supporting Roosevelt Elk, bear, cougars, and much more. Some parts of the park receive 12 feet of rain, while others only receive 12 to 20 inches on average every year. What a contrast, and diversity is what we experienced traveling from the coast of Gig Harbor, to the heights of Hurricane Ridge, then back down to sea level on the Pacific Coast where we camped at the South Beach Campground in Kalaloch, then hiked the Maple Glade Rain Forest Trail the next morning. That evening in camp we kept lookout for whales migrating north off the coast and listened to the tranquil sound of the surf breaking only yards from our campsite while the evening fog envelop us, what a thrill. This is another one of our great national parks.

Gig Harbor, Washington June 22 - 26, 2009 After finally arriving in the state of Washington, I was excited to see Puget Sound and many of the areas bays and waterways. I never imagined finding a community as nice as Gig Harbor. It’s very picturesque and reminds me of a fishing village along the coast of New England, perhaps Bar Harbor Maine. But what make this community among the best I have ever visited is the people. We were very fortunate to find the Gig Harbor Eagles Club and were welcomed as if we were old friends. The friendly hospitality of everyone made us feel welcome and at home. Nancy and Paul Martin have become fast friends who we look forward to visiting with again and Butchers invitation to join him and a few of his buddies for a few days of Goeduck clamming and camping were very much appreciated. Butch, I really hated to miss out on the fun, can I have a rain check? Paul, your route recommendation and travel advice was great! We hope to reciprocate your hospitality in Florida. This is where John’s wife Beatty and my wife Annette join us for the next leg of our adventure; a few days around the Olympic National Park, then to Northern Cascades National Park before crossing the border into Canada. But before they arrive it’s time for some deep cleaning of both mine and Johns rigs. After 5,000 miles, a month on the road and ten national parks they need it desperately.

Crater Lake National Park Southern Oregon Mazama Village Campground June 21, 2009 Arriving at Mazama Village in the afternoon we were greeted by a chilly wind, spitting freezing rain and snow flurries. A welcome treat after the summer heat of South Florida and a thrill to experience, as it’s been many years since I had experienced anything like it. After setting up camp among the snow patches throughout the campground, remnants of their annual snowfall of 44 feet, a short walk to Annie Creek Canyon not too far from the campground was a nice treat with spectacular vistas of the canyon and the flowing Annie Creek below. Crater Lake is inside a caldera formed about 7,700 years ago when Mount Mazama Volcano collapsed into itself after erupting with a force said to be 100 times more powerful that the eruption of Mount St. Helen in 1980. Ash from the eruption reached eight states and three Canadian provinces. The water of the lake has a deep blue color unlike any other body of water I have ever seen. It’s the purest large body of water in the world. With a depth of 1,943 feet it’s also the deepest in the United States. This is a photogenic natural wonder that is very captivating to the visual senses.

Redwood National and State Park Crescent City, California Sunset RV Campground June 20, 2009 The drive north on US 101along the coast into Redwood National & State Parks is like traveling through the Forest Primeval. The large size of these old-growth Redwoods is unlike anything I had ever seen, surpassing the largest Live Oaks of Florida’s Harwood Hammocks or Bald Cypress of Fakahatchee Strand. I was also surprised to see a herd of Roosevelt elk grazing along side of the road in the southern end of the park. Continuing north the next morning the drive through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, cross the Smith River was a treat worth the extra effort to include this park in the journey. A few blocks from the park headquarters in downtown Crescent City we found Sunset RV park located just off the beach and in view of majestic Battery Point Lighthouse to the north. The wind blew so hard off the ocean that occasionally the gusts rocked the camper enough to make the dishwater in the sink to slouch back and forth.

Lassen Volcanic National Park Campground June 19, 2009 Although I should have suspected steep grades with sheer drops offs hundreds of feet below, after all this is a volcano, I was surprised by the magnitude and grandeur of the park drive entering from the south. For a flatlander who doesn’t like heights, I think I did well, absent of sheer panic I did have sweaty palms for sure. Entering the park at the south entrance we found the Ranger station closed and the visitor Center under construction, and the first campground I came to was closed, so I guess we are still a little early in the season for this park. The next campground, Crags at 5,700 feet and closer to the park headquarters was open and it was a real treat to find it in good repair with paved campsites that are almost level, and with new bear proof food storage lockers. This park is a true jewel and apparently well managed. A short drive into the park we came to a geological feature called Sulphur Works with an active vent and bubbling mudpot which reminded me that this is still an active volcano. A little further up the volcano was Lake Helen that was still frozen over, just starting to melt. The Main Park Road climbs to an elevation of 8,512 feet and seemed to fall off on my side of the road all the way down to sea leave. Actually the road was in very good condition the entire 29 mile length with new pavement in many places, but no guardrails where I would have liked them to be.

6/22/2009 Carson City, Nevada Lake Tahoe and Gold Dust West Campground June 17 & 18, 2009 Dropping down from the higher elevations of the Yosemite for a drive north alone scenic route 49, thru the quaint town of Senora in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and through several other small towns such as Angles Camp was a pleasure. Arriving at South Lake Tahoe I was impressed with the beauty of the area and the lake. After a lakeside lunch stop at a Nevada State Park and a few pictures, it was on to Carson City and a campground that had all the modern amenities of electric, water, sewer, cable TV, and cleans level sites. Since I was due for a routine service of the truck this was a good place to lay-over for a few days. And camping at a casino has an added benefit of good food at reasonable prices. It was an unexpected treat to be entertained by a covey of California Quail that frequented the campsites.

Yosemite National Park California Hodgdon Meadow Campground June 15 & 16, 2009 Yosemite is a world class park that literally attracts folks from across the globe. Yosemite is like many of our other National Parks in that it makes you feel good as a tax paying American to know that it’s protected as one of our national treasures even if you never have an opportunity to see it for yourself. Known for its plunging waterfalls down bare rock faces like Bridalveil Falls, and rock formations like El Captain and Half Dome, it’s so popular that it’s near impossible to get a campsite. In part, that's because many of the 13 campgrounds had not yet been opened for the busy summer season, and too, because in 1997 a flood damaged many campgrounds that have not been repaired yet. It was so important for me to experience this park that I planned the beginning of the trip around being here. These are the only campsite reservations I have made for the entire adventure. I reserved them early the first day as soon as reservations were accepted, five months in advance according to their policy, and I could only reserve a site in Hodgdon Meadows campground. Everything else was full. The ideal campgrounds (if you like crowds of people and traffic) for an RV would be one of the campgrounds in the Yosemite Valley. A free shuttle around the 2.5 mile loop of Yosemite Valley is a great idea but does little good because not enough parking spaces are provided to accommodate the number of vehicles that enter the park, and its use is not mandatory unlike Zion National Park. Having originally planned to spend three days here, I had enough congestion and poor campground so I departed a day early, enough said.

East Sierra Nevada Mountain Range Bishop, California Brown’s Town Campground June 14, 2009 This is only a re-supply stop for the evening and but it’s a very nice community and I am told by others campers, the area has plenty of fishing in the nearby lakes and streams. The drive to Bishop and the drive from Bishop North to Yosemite are breathtaking. The small town of Bishop lies in the Owens River Valley. It is surrounded by the Inyo and Sierra National Forests, bordered to the west by the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness’ and a little further west by Kings Canyon and Sequioia National Parks, and the White Mountain Range to the East. With snow covered mountain peaks visible from the campsite, it was a big change from Death Valley. It would be nice to come back and spend a few days exploring here.

Death Valley National Park Southeast California June 13, 2009 Open space is what I found. Traveling across the desert from Vegas to Death Valley is an experience to be remembered. Miles and miles, of nothing, but miles and miles, until we reached the land of great extremes in California called Death Valley National Park. Not having the research capabilities of the internet available to me right now, I can’t compare the size of this park to, let’s say, Rhode Island or Delaware, but this park is Hugh! About 120 miles long, north / south and 60 miles east/west and contains 3.4 million acres. It is a geological wonderland. I wanted to stop often to explore the diversity of the geologic formations of the mountainous Panamint Range an active earthquake fault lines that are everywhere in the park. But if I started, where would I end? Best to press on before it gets too hot. And hot it was! At 3:30 PM one of the Rangers on duty at the visitor center told me that it was unusually cool for this time of year, it was 105 degrees! He said, as did several concession employees that I met, that normally it would be 110 – 115 degrees in the afternoon. The enclosing mountains on both sides recalculate hot air and keep it from dissipating at night. Summer daytime highs often reach 120 degrees and lows may not drop below 100 degrees. We were at 190 feet below sea leave! And Mount Whitney, less than 100 miles away is the highest point in the lower 48 states at 14,491 feet. Remember altitude equals to temperature, and only a few miles away up in the mountains it would be chilly. What a place of extremes! You would think that nothing can survive here, but the Desert Holly does, and so does the Kangaroo Rat and Chuckwalla, a large lizard, talk about adaptation, it’s here. We found an oasis in the desert at Furnace Creek Ranch Ranch and Resort. Complete with palm trees and a golf course! A private in-holding within the park and they also are the concessionaire for the other campground, Stovepipe Wells Village, further north in the park about 28 miles. This would be our camp for the evening, and it was wonderful. About 225 feet below sealeavel, can you beleive it? The hot, dry air blew strong as the sunset over the mountains to the west. And it was time to going for a swim in their large mineral spring feed pool. The water temperature was 85 degrees and felt great, but when I got out I was chilled by the dry breeze. An adult beverage, steak dinner, and cigar made life almost perfect if only Annette could be here too. Without her by my side, life is not as large or complete.

June 12, 2009 A short three hour drive from Zion, we traveled to Las Vegas and camped at the KOA at Circus Circus Casino, a 500+ site campground and paid $45 for one night to camp in a paved parking lot, but it was Las Vegas and afforded us the opportunity to donate to the cause in the casino, but it was fun. At least I won betting on a baseball game. Not much else to report about this place other that it was a much different environment from what we are accustomed to, and it makes you what to get back to the woods with open spaces.

6/18/2009 Zion National Park Springdale, Utah June 11, 2009 Arriving at the East Gate of Zion National Park, I was a little concerned about driving the Truck Camper through the narrow one mile long tunnels of Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. At the Ranger Station the Ranger on duty explained that oversized vehicles are required to drive down the middle of the road and that traffic would be held on the opposite end to allow for our safe passage for a $15 additional fee. The drive down to the South Entrance Campgrounds, from 5700 feet at the East Ranger Station, up to 6670 feet at Checkerboard Mesa, then down to 3900 feet was curvy with several switchbacks along the way. Fortunately we arrived early and had our pick of campsites, but within a few hours both campgrounds were full before noon. After selecting our campsite and paying the camping fee, a quit trip into nearby Springdale, just outside the park gate to resupply, only took a short time. Beginning in2000 the park prohibited personal vehicle traffic from much of the park, instead providing continuous loop shuttle buses, powered by propane. If you have been to Disney World you know what I am referring to. After boarding the park’s shuttle bus at the visitor center at the South entrance we rode to the northern most stop, Temple of Sinawava, a paved accessible trail one mile hike to the beginning of The Narrows, a 16 mile stretch of the Virgin River that flows through a narrow canyon that you can hike in the water up-canyon. It’s a very popular sport and signature attraction for this park.

Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim Northern Arizona on the Kaibab Plateau June 10, 2009 After a long days drive from Mesa Verde with a lunch stop along the way at Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon which is close to Lee’s Ferry, the put-in for rafting the Grand, we arrived at the Ranger Station to learn that the 87 sites in the park’s camping area were full, a disappointment for sure, but traveling without timeline and reservations that’s to be expected. This is a very remote location, not close to any town, just the way I like it. Visiting the park being the objective we continued on into the park, a 13 mile drive to the Grand Canyon Lodge and North Rim. A mile hike out and back on Bright Angel trail was all worth the effort. The view across Bright Angel Canyon and across to the South Rim was worth the effort and the hike was enjoyable, the view…well it is the GRAND Canyon. The North Rim of the park, consisting of the Grand Canyon Lodge with the adjoining amenities of cabins, restaurant, saloon, and gift shop are worth another visit. Annette and I will make another trip back here. With the park’s campground being full the only other choice this late in the day was to boondock in nearby Kaibab National Forest. This National Forest does not have designated campsites that I know of, near the Park’s North Rim, just open camping, and we found a nice place to set-up camp for the evening. At more than 8,000 feet elevation it got a little chilly, down to 39 degrees early in the morning.

Mesa Verde National Park Cortez, Colorado June 9, 2009 On a quest to visit as many National Parks as particle, Mesa Verde National Park was less than 100 miles away atop a mesa where at approximately 8,500 feet we camped in Morefield campground. Attitude equates to temperature, and it was cool. The low this night was 44 degrees, and it rained a little during the evening and the next morning. Mule deer feed among the campsites early in the evening and my traveling companion, Lt. Col., Mr. Mogley, our miniature Shnowzier, couldn’t figure out what those big critters were doing visiting our campsite. An early start in the morning allowed time to explore a few of the 4,500 archeological sites and 600 cliff dwelling sites within the park, and several different mesas. It is beyond my ability to describe the park, which maybe why I took more than 250 pictures. Unfortunately I can only share one picture with you until I learn how to include more pictures in this blog. A site called Spruce Tree House located in Spruce Canyon, below Chapin Mesa, is reportedly the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling in the park. The National Park Service allows visitors to hike into the site and experience the dwellings up close and personal even allowing people to walk into the site, which of course we did. And to climb down a ladder through a hole in the beam-and-mud roof, into a Kiva, an underground chamber believed to be used as a ceremonial chamber and gathering place. I think there were primarily used to keep warm. Along the trail I found some cactus in bloom with yellow and red flowers, of course I took a few pictures for Annette. After Spruce Tree House and a tour of the Chapin Mesa Museum, we drove several miles of a driving tour along Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop with pullouts along the way at many sites to view more cliff dwellings from a distance and two archeological sites of Pithouses and a site called the Sun Temple.

Aztec Ruins National Monument Navajo Dam, New Mexico Navajo Dam State Park June 7 & 8, 2009 Cottonwood campground, one of three campgrounds in this park was selected because it is on the San Juan River which is known for world class trout fishing, reportedly with 80,000 fish per river mile making it one of the best trout streams in the country. Just our luck though, the river was flooding and running way to fast even for a float trip on an oars float boat which I had planned on chartering. No problem, take it easy and relax. I had developed an electrical problem with the truck and needed the time to bring it into the Dodge dealer in Farmington for repairs. It also was time to resupply the pantry. This lay-over day was time to recharge, rest, and do some exploring. Aztec Ruins National Monument was nearby and I couldn’t pass by without exploring the 450 room pueblo built by the Aztec people of Mexico, about 7 centuries ago, long before the time of the ancestral Puebloans. This site has influence from the Mesa Verde period and served as an appetizer to the next National Park we would visit, Mesa Verde.

June 6, 2009 Onto another New Mexico State Park, Hyde Memorial State Park outside of Santa Fe is high in the mountains with much cooler temperatures, a welcome relief. Here I had the good fortune of meeting Law enforcement Park Ranger Robert Smith and it was apparent that the public loved him and that he loved his job. New Mexico State Park system really has some great law enforcement rangers, and Ranger Smith is another one New Mexico should be proud of. During our conversation he shared that plans are underway for his agency to host next year’s State Park Directors conference in Santa Fe, one that PLEA may want to support.

6/12/2009 San Antonio, Texas June 4, 2009 After making the drive into San Antonio yesterday I met with Captain Ray Castro of the San Antonio Park Police. Ray is an impressive man, a true park law enforcement professional, and one of our Board members… he is a credit to his agency and to PLEA. The San Antonio Park Police are hosting our 2010 Park Law Enforcement Association’s annual conference next May or June. Under Ray’s leadership, they are well into the planning process. The ideas and plans for our conference Ray shared with me are exciting. After a brief tour of some of Ray’s parks we met with hotel staff of one of the hotels that are being considered for our conference. No decision has been made yet as to which hotel will best meet our needs, but whichever one is finally selected I am confident that this will be one of the most remarkable locations we have ever held a conference, and Ray’s agency is doing everything to make this one of the best. Annette and I are looking forward to next year’s workshop and visiting San Antonio next spring, I hope many of you are too.

I am sure you realize now that I am not traveling a route that will provide internet access very often. This past week I have not had electricity or cell phone service (with a few short exceptions which I used for calling home)until a few hours ago.

A turn south off the beaten path of Interstate 10 was a nice change of pace from the turnpike rush. At my wife’s recommendation a visit to Avery Island and a tour of the Tabasco factory was in order… But it was Redfish I was after, and a pleasant campground. I found neither; I had hoped to book a charter into the renowned bayou for some trout and redfish fishing. Perhaps further west in the St. Charles area will fill the bill, or rather the cooler.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park Roswell, New Mexico June 5, 2009 A stop at Carlsbad Carven National Park was in the plan to visit as a priority among the many national parks I hope to visit on this adventure. It was an awesome park and much more and much bigger than anticipated. I’ll attach a few pictures for you to enjoy. The park is in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains and the drive on back roads to get there was part of the adventure and a fun experience…I saw my first Roadrunner as it crossed the road in front of me. The journey underground began with an elevator ride down 749 feet to the 8.2-acre Big Room, complete with concession and restroom. The constant 56 degree temperature was chilly at first but the hike along the one mile underground trail kept me warm. The trail was well marked, paved, and for the most part it was wheelchair accessible.

Pushing hard to go north and west, I camped at Bottomless Lake State Park where I met with Law Enforcement Park Ranger Stephen Conkle. Although not a PLEA member Ranger Conkle had been aware of PLEA. He is a wealth of information about New Mexico State Park system and it was obvious he takes great pride in his agency and our profession…it was a real pleasure to meet him and to learn about his agency. The park is clean, well kept and the camping area was a pleasure to stay in. I learned that the park is one of 34 in their system and receives about 190,000 visitors each year.

Biloxi, Mississippi June 1, 2009 The sunrise over Lake Talquin was breath taking and provided a wonderful photo opportunity which I couldn’t resist. After a quite morning with the spectacular sunrise it was time to head west. The damage caused to the coastal area was still very evident and many empty vacant lots that once had homes on them were more numerous than I could have imagined. Signs of our struggling economy are everywhere… many businesses closed and boarded up, it was very depressing… But the Casinos are thriving. One of them provided an opportunity I couldn’t pass-up and I had a good buffet meal, mostly consisting of Snow Crab legs, a prelude to Alaska seafood.

6/3/2009 Day 1 Coe’s Landing Campground Tallahassee, Florida May 31, 2009, The first day

Eight hours of travel the first day was enough, and Coe’s Landing campground a Leon County park was the ideal place to spend the first night. The campsites are level, clean, and the view out over Lake Talqin is spectacular. This man-made lake created when Florida Light and Power built a hydro-electric plant is renowned for its freshwater fishing, but I think the scenery is unsurpassed by anything else here.

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As we travel our world visiting parks, meeting others in our profession and introducing them to the benefits of the Park Law Enforcement Association. We'll share adventures by way of this blog.. Please check back from time to time to see what we have been up to.. Oh, and plesae leave a comment so I know someone is enjoying these....